Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty
.
One of the first college programs to get the opportunity to rock FoG x adidas threads was Indiana’s men’s and women’s basketball teams at the former’s game against
Penn State and the latter’s against
Ohio State.
However, the partnership appears to have been suspended just one day after the beige and red jerseys were unveiled on Instagram.
Love The Rickey Smiley Morning Show? Get more! Join the The Rickey Smiley Morning Show Newsletter
We care about your data. See our privacy policy.
“Indiana men’s and women’s basketball programs will not be wearing the Fear of God uniform design in any upcoming games. IU will continue to proudly wear Adidas apparel, including our traditional basketball uniforms,” IU athletics said in a statement from
The Herald-Times.
Indiana didn’t give a reason for reneging on the kits –which they wore last season–, but in a
now-deleted tweet, IU student journalist
Ian Plaskoff said it’s because of Lorenzo’s association with
Kanye West and his recent barrage of
antisemitic tweets.
“BREAKING: The Indiana athletic department has shut down the debut of the Adidas Fear of God uniforms previously planned for this weekend, per @IUJGray. The decision comes in connection to the brand’s association with Kanye West amid his recent antisemitic actions,” read the tweet.
The claim has not been confirmed, but it wouldn’t be the first time Ye’s rants have led to lost business opportunities, including his own deals with adidas, Gap, and other companies refusing to work with him after he promised to go
“death con 3 on Jewish people.”
While Ye isn’t directing involved with Fear of God, he’s a known associate of Lorenzo and was one of the first big stars to wear the brand in its beginnings –even attending its first fashion show at the Hollywood Bowl in 2023– and help build its influence into the staple its become. The two first connected after West noticed his designs and asked Lorenzo to work on his APC capsule collection. Since then, their connection has become strained, with Lorenzo telling
Complex in 2023, “Anyone that knows Kanye will tell you it’s a tough relationship to hold on to.”
Lorenzo has been the Global Head of adidas basketball since 2020, so Indiana’s decision to halt the collab directly combats the three stripes’ goal to build its basketball sector. There’s no telling if the outfits planned for Miami and Kansas will be nixed, too.
See how social media is reacting to the last-minute jersey swap below.
